The two teenagers who had been battling on the stage had already finished their match, leaving the arena open.
Aaron and Orion walked to opposite sides and faced each other.
Aaron looked calm.
Orion wore a mocking smile, as if the punchline had already been decided.
You really walked straight into this.
If you're that eager to embarrass yourself, don't blame me.
...
Down in the dining hall, Orion stepping onto the battle stage immediately drew attention.
After all, he was a well-known name in the capital.
"Wait, isn't that Orion?"
"Holy crap, it is. Doesn't he own shares in this place? So the owner's putting on a show himself?"
"Owner? His family is one of the biggest in Hualis. A restaurant like this is nothing to them."
"Still, seeing Orion battle during dinner? That alone makes tonight worth it."
"No kidding. This should be good."
"Who's the kid facing him, though? I've never seen him before."
"No idea, but he's in trouble. Orion's only a junior, and he's already a Champion-class Trainer. His future's basically guaranteed."
"That's the kind of talent Hualis needs."
The guests kept talking, and almost all of them were on Orion's side.
As for Aaron, most had already written him off as background scenery.
At Blaze's table, the comments made both him and Liora increasingly irritated. Blaze, in particular, looked like he wanted to shove a plate into someone's mouth.
Can't people eat without running their mouths?
Only Braveon remained calm, a faint smile on his face.
Blaze finally snapped.
"You've got nerves of steel, man. Aaron's about to fight Orion, and you're still smiling?"
Liora also looked over, worry clear in her eyes.
Braveon took a sip of coffee before answering.
"Because I believe in him."
Blaze froze.
"But Orion is already Champion-class. That gap isn't small. Last time we saw Aaron, he was still Elite-level.."
Liora nodded quietly.
Braveon only smiled.
"We've all improved a lot since then. Why would he be the only one standing still?"
His gaze shifted toward Aaron on the stage, and his expression grew serious.
"The aura I'm sensing from him is much stronger than before."
Blaze and Liora exchanged a glance.
"He's ridiculously strong now."
The two exchanged a glance, shock flickering across their faces.
...
On the battle stage, a transparent energy shield rose around the arena, sealing it off from the dining hall.
The referee looked at both Trainers and announced loudly, "This will be a three-on-three battle. The match ends when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to continue."
He raised his flag.
"Both sides, send out your first Pokémon!"
Orion smiled confidently.
"Go ahead, ordinary Trainer. Start your little performance."
Aaron grinned without answering and took out a Poké Ball.
Both released their Pokémon at the same time.
"Come out, Gholdengo!"
"Come out, Beedrill!"
Aaron had chosen Beedrill.
If he was going to slap Orion in the face, he might as well start with a Pokémon people tended to underestimate.
Orion's first Pokémon, meanwhile, was a glittering golden creature that looked as rich as its name suggested.
It stood around 1.2 meters tall, with four thick golden tube-like locks rising from its head. Its body looked oddly comical, and a belt-like ring hung around its waist and thighs.
This was Gholdengo.
The Coin Entity Pokémon.
Since it was Aaron's first time seeing one in person, he checked its panel.
[Name: Gholdengo]
[Gender: Genderless]
[Nature: Sassy]
[Type: Steel/Ghost]
[Ability: Good as Gold]
[Base Stats Total: 550]
[Level: Gym (Peak Stage)]
[Potential: Champion]
[Known Moves: Shadow Ball (Perfect), Make It Rain (Perfect), Charge Beam (Mastery), Thunderbolt (Mastery), Nasty Plot (Mastery), Recover (Proficient), Flash Cannon (Proficient), Psychic (Mastery), Power Gem (Proficient), Confuse Ray (Proficient), Protect (Proficient), Light Screen (Proficient), Reflect (Proficient), Dazzling Gleam (Proficient), Tackle (Proficient), Astonish (Proficient)...]
[Description: Gholdengo, the Coin Entity Pokémon. Its body is made of 1,000 gold coins. When angered, it attacks by launching gold coins at its opponent.]
...
After reading the panel, Aaron's first thought was simple.
Flashy.
Almost every useful move this Gholdengo had was learned through TM cards.
That was not training.
That was money talking.
Orion's family had clearly turned it into an all-rounder through sheer resources, giving it offense, support, coverage, recovery, and defensive tools. Its move pool stretched across multiple types, and every part of it screamed wealth.
As expected of someone born in the capital's upper circles.
He had been born with the power of money.
This world really was cruel and practical. For a child from an ordinary family, becoming a powerful Trainer was unbelievably difficult. The best resources were controlled by the strong, and those who started with nothing had to fight for every inch of progress.
Without the system, Aaron probably never would have stood on the same stage as someone like Orion.
For most people, the gap between them and these so-called prodigies had already been decided before they were even born.
His eyes sharpened.
A poor kid becoming Champion was almost unheard of.
Then he would change that.
Even if he could not make the world fair, he could at least carve out a path for ordinary kids who loved Pokémon and had nowhere to go.
If this world refused to give them a road, then he would tear one open himself.
A sharp light flashed in Aaron's eyes.
...